Catalytic converters stolen off truck in Windham, thief sought
© Provided by WGME Portland
WINDHAM (WGME) -- A Windham business says two catalytic converters were stolen off one of their trucks on Tuesday.
K&D Countertops says the thief stole the catalytic converters around 4:30 a.m. The incident was caught on their security cameras.
The company says it may cost about $10,000 to replace, not including the costs of the truck being off the road.
The Windham Drifters Snowmobile Club says the thief used the trail behind Camping World in Windham to get access to K&D Countertops.
Windham police are reportedly investigating.
A law that went into effect last summer aims to make selling stolen catalytic converters in Maine harder.
Catalytic converters are exhaust emission control devices for vehicles with internal combustion engines, and they are often in an external location and use valuable metals. This makes them a prime target for thieves.
Under the new law, new and used car dealers have to engrave the full VIN of a vehicle on the converter, unless it’s sold at wholesale or the part isn't clearly visible from the underside.
Recyclers must engrave or permanently mark either the VIN or the recycler’s license number and stock number.
Private individuals who remove a catalytic converter are required to mark it as well, unless it's just temporarily for maintenance or repairs.
If a converter has already been removed and the VIN can't be identified, or it's too damaged to be marked, the person in possession will have to contact the secretary of state's office to get an identification number assigned to that part.
